LAKE GEORGE, NY –9/18/2011 – Mountain Lake PBS and Bright Blue EcoMedia have teamed up on a documentary to highlight the challenges of aquatic invasive species management in the Lake George basin, titled “Lake Defenders”. A free public screening will be held at the Sagamore in Bolton Landing at 6:30 pm on October 9th. A preview of the film is available online (http://www.mountainlake.org/programs/documentaries-and-specials/lake-defenders.html).

The film is a 30-minute special highlighting both the successes and mounting challenges of aquatic invasive species control in the ‘Queen of American Lakes’, where citizens, scientists and nonprofit organizations have joined together to defend Lake George and its watershed. Invasives include Eurasian milfoil, zebra mussels, and Asian clam, the newest threat to Lake George ecology.

“The Lake George example is one that can serve as a model for thousands of communities across North America, communities that are struggling to conserve their lakes and resilience of their ecosystem and interdependent economies,” said Jon Erickson of Bright Blue EcoMedia and University of Vermont professor.

The documentary is part of the educational mission of Mountain Lakes PBS, based in Plattsburgh, NY. “We're working with the nonprofit Bright Blue to provide quality lifelong learning content and curriculum while also telling a local success story to a much wider audience,” according to Dan Swinton, Director of Production and Content at Mountain Lake. Mountain Lake PBS will seek distribution throughout all of New York’s PBS stations.

A free public screening of “Lake Defenders” will take place on Oct 9th at the Sagamore in Lake George at 6:30 pm. The doors will open at 5:45 for hors d’ oeuvres. Following the film, Jon D. Erickson and Victor Guadagno of Bright Blue EcoMedia will be on hand for a period of Q&A. A screening will also take place in Albany on October 25th as part of the New York State Museum’s Adirondack Day.

Prior to the film’s broadcast premiere on October 19th at 9 pm, Thom Hallock, the award-winning producer of Mountain Lake Journal, will feature a special round table discussion with Jon D. Erickson and Vic Guadagno of Bright Blue at 8 pm on Mountain Lake PBS.

BrightBlue EcoMedia has an educational mission to produce digital media that will enhance, enrich, and sustain human cultures and the ecological systems on which they rely.

As a unique blend of academics, media professionals, educators, and artists, we are dedicated to communication of positive solutions. Our creative team has worked together in various forms over the past twenty years. Over the past few years, our vision of combining rich educational content with high quality video production has crystallized as Bright Blue EcoMedia. We believe that entertaining, high quality films, teacher’s guides, and new media can be powerful communication tools, translating complex issues to audiences of all ages.